To say that the San Francisco 49ers' success is a surprise would be an understatement. The team, after all, was coming off a four-win season. Being without its starting quarterback for much of the year contributed to that. Still, the defense ranked among the league's worst with embarrassing statistics like fewest interceptions (2) and turnovers (7) of all-time.
On February 2, the Kyle Shanahan-led 49ers will play in Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs. Sure, some may have predicted a potential playoff appearance, but the NFC West champions, No. 1 seed in the NFC, and now a Super Bowl? Not so much.
That's what has made this season so exciting. This 49ers squad, in most people's eyes, came out of nowhere and looks built to last.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN on Thursday ranked the 10 most unlikely Super Bowl teams of all-time — a list of the most surprising squads to earn a trip to sports' biggest stage.
"What coach Kyle Shanahan and the rest of this organization have pulled off in 2019 is a once-in-a-generation sort of improvement," writes Barnwell.
Are they the most unlikely Super Bowl team of all-time? Not quite. That honor belongs to the 1999 St. Louis Rams, who, like the 49ers of this season, went 4-12 the previous year and turned it into a Super Bowl run. Those Rams, though, won a championship. That's something these 49ers also hope to mimic.
Shanahan's squad ranks No. 2 on Barnwell's list. The ESPN writer notes that it didn't take long for this season's 49ers to top their 2018 interception total of two. They did so during their season opener in Tampa Bay and finished with 27 takeaways, the sixth-highest total in the NFL. Much of that is due to a bolstered pass rush, which has improved every aspect of the defense. The 49ers owned the No. 27 pass rush in defensive DOVA last season and ranked No. 2 in 2019.
The offense has seen improvement this season, as well, in areas like points in the red zone and average starting field position.
"They have improved, often dramatically, across the board in every category short of those field goals, where Robbie Gould has dropped from 97.1% to 74.2%," writes Barnwell.
Most people assumed the 49ers would improve over last season. After all, there was only one direction to go, and the team's franchise quarterback was returning from injury. At this time last season, San Francisco was preparing to coach the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Now, the coaches are preparing their players for one final game and a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
By the way, another 49ers team appeared on Barnwell's list. The 1981 team, which became the first in franchise history to win a Super Bowl, ranks in at No. 3. Head coach Bill Walsh, like Shanahan today, was in his third season with San Francisco. Things turned out pretty well for him.